Immigrant Thread.

[annasuave]

when did you move to Canada and from where
1976, from the UK. I was six years old. I became a Canadian citizen in 1980. I still have the little shoes I wore to the ceremony.

Do you miss or feel a connection to your "Old Country"
No, none at all. When I've visited the UK before, I worry irrationally that that Brits might take my passport away and force me to stay there.

Do you feel Canadian
100%. I'll go one step further than Oilyfan and confess that I get tears in my eyes when OTHER people take the oath at the Citizenship ceremony.
__________________

[Ben_in_Canada]

when did you move to Canada and from where

2008 @ 30yo from Brisbane Australia

Do you miss or feel a connection to your "Old Country"

Connection yes, but don't miss it at all.
I still keep up to date with current events there through family and facebook.

Do you feel Canadian

About 70% I never had any issues integrating, I already played hockey and drank beer. Every now and again I'll use some Aussie slang or term and get made fun of

[polak]

Originally Posted by Ben_in_Canada

Every now and again I'll use some Aussie slang or term and get made fun of

Cheeky C***. We get rooted out of that word here.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

when did you move to Canada and from where

1976 from Moscow, Russia (nee USSR). We were Russian Jewish refugees. I was three years old. We left Russia in 1975 but stayed in Rome for 1 year while we were waiting for refugee status in Canada. Then it was straight to Calgary since both of my parents were engineers.

Do you miss or feel a connection to your "Old Country"

I do feel a slight connection since I grew up around other Russian Jewish immigrants. However, since I've been an adult and made my own way in the world that connection has gotten much weaker. I went back to Moscow for the first time in 2006 and mostly felt like a tourist. While there I did feel a sense of pride for the history and culture of the country. But now, I mostly feel a slight sense of shame for the actions of the country and the attitudes of many of the people still living there.

Do you feel Canadian

I feel 90% Canadian if that makes sense. My parents often tease me about how Canadian I am and my wife bugs me occasionally about how Russian I am.

Very cool. Not to make you feel too old or anything but my Grandfather had a similar story. Did the USSR allow you to leave because you were Jewish or, like my Grandfather, when you use the term 'emigrate' was it more like 'escape?'

[_Q_]

when did you move to Canada and from where
Moved here in 1989 with my parents and younger brother when I was 7. I was born in Abu Dhabi, UAE, but since Arab countries don't grant citizenship to babies born on their soil, I got my parents citizenship. My parents are Palestinians, which essentially means were stateless. The first and only citizenship I ever had was Canadian.

Do you miss or feel a connection to your "Old Country"

I don't miss it, but I do get nostalgic sometimes. Especially the food and weather in Abu Dhabi. I do identify myself as an Arab though. I speak Arabic fairly fluently and I do identify to some extent with Arab culture.

Do you feel Canadian

Yes 100%.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by _Q_

I do identify myself as an Arab though. I speak Arabic fairly fluently and I do identify to some extent with Arab culture.

Do you feel Canadian

Yes 100%.

No you don't - T@T.

[Red Slinger]

Originally Posted by Locke

Very cool. Not to make you feel too old or anything but my Grandfather had a similar story. Did the USSR allow you to leave because you were Jewish or, like my Grandfather, when you use the term 'emigrate' was it more like 'escape?'

Yeah, they let us leave as long as we were going to Israel. However, my parents didn't want to because they didn't want my sister and I to have to join the army in Israel. I come from a proud, noble line of cowards. So my parents declared for Israel but ended up in Canada.

While the USSR was, more or less, willing to allow Jews to leave they certainly didn't make it a pleasant experience. After my parents applied they had to wait about 1 year (I think) for permission. During that time they were fired from their jobs, their friends and family were harassed, they had fliers posted with their pictures calling them traitors, they were followed constantly and they were essentially evicted from their apartment and moved into slum while they waited. And this was before they were given permission to leave.

So, I wouldn't call it an escape so much. They weren't crawling through barb-wire and dodging bullets. But it wasn't a simple plane ride either. It was probably a little easier to get out in the 70's than when your grandfather did it.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

Yeah, they let us leave as long as we were going to Israel. However, my parents didn't want to because they didn't want my sister and I to have to join the army in Israel. I come from a proud, noble line of cowards. So my parents declared for Israel but ended up in Canada.

While the USSR was, more or less, willing to allow Jews to leave they certainly didn't make it a pleasant experience. After my parents applied they had to wait about 1 year (I think) for permission. During that time they were fired from their jobs, their friends and family were harassed, they had fliers posted with their pictures calling them traitors, they were followed constantly and they were essentially evicted from their apartment and moved into slum while they waited. And this was before they were given permission to leave.

So, I wouldn't call it an escape so much. They weren't crawling through barb-wire and dodging bullets. But it wasn't a simple plane ride either. It was probably a little easier to get out in the 70's than when your grandfather did it.

Yeah, his 'emigration' actually did involve more than a little barbed-wire and bullets and some leisurely strolls through lush forests in the dead of night.

But he didnt have to endure the harassment or resentment from his community. Its one of those double-edged sword stories where he wasnt Jewish so there was no harassment but it also meant that he wasnt allowed to leave either.

Thanks for sharing!

[FNL]

when did you move to Canada and from where

US, Around '87 -'88 ish

Do you miss or feel a connection to your "Old Country"

Very much so. I travel to the US frequently, have numerous friends and family, and my son now goes to University there.

Being Canadian doesn't make me any less American at all. I am deeply offended by Ted Cruz renouncing his Canadian citizenship as if it were a burden and a black mark.

Do you feel Canadian

I feel as connected to Alberta as much as to Canada as a naturalized citizen.

I get a general feeling that being from the US makes you a different flavor of immigrant, you're not REALLY an immigrant, it's more of a technicality...

[calgarygeologist]

My parents fled Poland in 1980 and got into West Germany. They moved to Calgary in 1983 when I was 8 months old. It was typical $20 in your pocket, a suitcase of clothes and no friends looking for a new and better life.

I've never lived in Germany or Poland but I still feel a pretty strong connection with the motherland. I've applied for a few jobs in Poland over the last few years especially because they have been trying to grow their oil industry. I've also been hoping to get my papers from either Germany or Poland so that I could some sort of EU credentials in order to open up a lot of work opportunities over there.

I totally feel and am Canadian though.

[Hart50]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

My parents fled Poland in 1980 and got into West Germany. They moved to Calgary in 1983 when I was 8 months old. It was typical $20 in your pocket, a suitcase of clothes and no friends looking for a new and better life.

I've never lived in Germany or Poland but I still feel a pretty strong connection with the motherland. I've applied for a few jobs in Poland over the last few years especially because they have been trying to grow their oil industry. I've also been hoping to get my papers from either Germany or Poland so that I could some sort of EU credentials in order to open up a lot of work opportunities over there.

I totally feel and am Canadian though.

Assuming you were born in Germany could you not get a German passport which would therefore be an EU passport?
The EU passport would allow you to work anywhere in the EU.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Hart50

Assuming you were born in Germany could you not get a German passport which would therefore be an EU passport?
The EU passport would allow you to work anywhere in the EU.

I was born in Germany but from what I have read the Germans have made it much more difficult for non citizens to get a passport or dual citizenship. I guess there was a lot of people, like myself, that were applying for German papers so that they could have access to EU jobs and such. It appears as though I might have an easier process going through Poland because my parents were born in Poland. My parents never had German citizenship from what I understand.

[Hart50]

FWIW because my Dad was born in Ireland I was able to get an Irish/EU passport and therefore I have both a Canadian and Irish passport.
I phoned the Irish Embasey in Ottawa and they sent me the Forms.
Perhaps the same thing would work for you with your Polish connection?